China Rolls Out Tighter Rules on Reporting

In a statement posted on its Web site on Thursday, the General Administration of Press and Publication barred reporters from directly including unverified information from the Internet or mobile telephone messages in news articles.

The new rules also require journalists to produce at least two sources for any “critical” news reports and to personally conduct interviews when gathering information.

False reports must be followed by corrections and apologies, the statement said, and serious violations could lead to the suspension or even the revocation of a news outlet’s government-issued license.

[…] The immediate impact of the new rules was not clear, but their effect may be felt most at local or regional news outlets where journalists may be less experienced and government supervision can be less precise.